Petticoats: Volume 2
by ecol
Summary: In a world where the Founding Mothers are only beginning their careers, Alexandra Hamilton is invited to a ball at the Schuyler mansion. She is expecting food, ale, and dancing. But when she arrives, she discovers someone completely new.
1. Alexandra Hamilton

She hands me the invitation, her chocolate eyes sparkling.

"Alexandra, I refuse to believe that you are not excited about this! A ball in the Schuyler mansion? Do you not want to gaze upon the finest men in all of the thirteen colonies?"

I sigh, wishing I had Joanna Laurens' imagination. None of the men there would give me a second thought, even with my brains and if I care to admit beauty. Jo shoves my invitation at me, squealing praises of the Schuylers, of General Washington, of God himself. I take my invitation and shove it in my bosom, unable to excite myself the way Jo can.

Jo approaches me again, taking me in her arms. She is tinier than me by a foot; her skin looks like caramel and she has dainty freckles painted across her cheeks. She is one of the most beautiful women I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, much less becoming my friend. "Alex…"

"Yes, my darling Joanna?" I smile in mock admiration for my best friend. She giggles, pushing me away. I laugh too, realizing that she is behaving herself today.

"I just want you to relax. You've been so uptight the last few weeks. I think this ball could be the chance for you to take a load off, enjoy some ale… Enjoy my company," she takes my hand with this, kissing the back of my palm. My cheeks fill with warmth as she turns away. "Please. I will not ask you again."

After pondering the thought, I slowly remove the invitation from my bosom. In fancy, looping letters reads, "The Schuyler family formally invites the aide-de-camp Alexandra Hamilton to a ball at Albany". I nod at the words almost like a non-verbal confirmation.

I sigh, taking Jo in my arms again. "I suppose I'll have to go. They did formally invite me, after all," Jo giggles at my joke as I put my invitation into my important business sachel. I blow out the candle on my dresser, laying in my cot.

I stare at her through the darkness of our tent. "Good night, Laurens."

She stands in the middle of the room, her undershirt falling off of her right shoulder. She pulls her hair out of her ponytail, letting it fall down her shoulders dramatically. "Good night, Hamilton." Before I drift into sleep, the last thing I see is her ghostly figure, and hear her voice.

" _Good night, Alexandra Hamilton_."

Good night, Joanna Laurens.


	2. Elijah Schuyler

Andrew stands in front of his mirror, fixing his collar. His dark, curly hair is pulled back into a queue, as is mine. His tail, however, is a bit longer than mine.

"Are you excited, brother?" Andrew fixes his cufflinks, turning to me. His dark skin glows with the faint powder he has put on this evening.

I sigh, putting my sky blue coat on. "As excited as one can be, Andrew."

My brother clasps my shoulder, grabbing my jaw. "Elijah, you need to take a break, alright? We are in wartime, yes. But we have been given the opportunity to enjoy ourselves. Our mother is a general. If Piper Schuyler didn't want us to celebrate, she would have cut us down."

I only sigh again. Andrew turns from me, putting on his salmon-colored coat. He looks handsome as usual, but there is doubt in his eyes.

My pale skin and dark hair scream again my blue clothing and black eyes. I push a loose curl behind my ear.

"I will see you downstairs, Elijah." Andrew leaves the room, shutting the door a little too loudly as he doesGuests begin to arrive. Elijah, Andrew, and Maxwell Schuyler stand in blue, salmon, and yellow, respectively. We wait for men and women, soldiers and sergeants alike. Maxwell, who we dubbed Pluto, bounces on the balls of his feet. He is too excited to see beautiful Patriot women, much less than his older siblings.

A few minutes pass. Me and my brothers are beginning to become impatient. Floods and floods of guests enter after seven o'clock, which is the deadline for attendance, as stated by our father. However, I am very glad I waited.

She enters the room with such grace that I believe she is a ghost at first. Her long, curly red hair is pulled back into a queue. She stands beside a tall, bruting women who we know as Helene Mulligan. To her right, there is a tiny, baby-looking woman with freckles and light skin. The redhead is holding hands with the freckled creature.

I can't take my eyes off of the redhead as she moves into the room. Women have this odd, sixth sense, besides their usual taste, seeing, smell. They can tell when anyone is staring at them from any distance.

She caught my eye, and now she catches mine. She turns her head a little bit, staring just over the freckled woman's head. She smirks, her big blue eyes grinning widely. I nearly melt in my spot.

"Andrew," I turn to my older brother, leaning slightly. "Who is she?" I gesture in the young lady's direction.

"That's Colonel Alexandra Hamilton," Andrew chuckles, seeing the color in my cheeks. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

"Quite," is all I can say in return. I swallow hard. "Should I ask her to dance?"

"One moment, brother. You mustn't rush into these things," the smirk on Andrew's face says it all, and he is shortening my fuse. He pats my shoulder in a mocking way. "I'll go talk to her. Then we'll see how it goes."

I whip my head around to my brother, grabbing his arm. "Andrew, I swear on the stars above-"

Andrew grabs my arm equally as hard. "Relax. I would never lead you astray, Elijah."

He walks over to the redhead. The freckled woman and Helene Mulligan disperse from Alexandra. Andrew takes Alexandra's hand, kissing it gently. They talk for a couple of moments, before Andrew points back at me. Oh dear Lord, save me on this night-

Instead of an embarrassed look, Alexandra makes direct eye contact with me. She smiles bright enough to light the room, doing the hanging lanterns and large banisters full of candles so much injustice.

Andrew holds his arm out to Alexandra, and they turn around towards me. I begin to panic. What will she say? What will I say? How do I not make a complete fool of myself-

"Good evening," Alexandra says, bobbing into a curtsy. I bow to her, showing the most amount of respect possible.

After I rise from my bow, Andrew detaches from Miss Alexandra. "Good evening, miss. Elijah Schuyler. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Schuyler?!" Alexandra turns to Andrew, and he nods.

"My brother."


	3. Alexandra Hamilton (Part 2)

Men are simple creatures. They know how to eat, sleep, bathe, and love. That's about it. The creative, sensitive sides come later in life. However, when I look at Elijah Schuyler, I see compassion. I see a future in him that I simply cannot ignore.

I touch his arm after Andrew lets go of mine. "Would you care to dance, Mister Schuyler?"

Elijah is flustered. "Yes. Of course, miss."

I take his hand in mine, guiding him to the dance floor. The floor is crowded with strangers, hundreds of people having a good time. I put my hand on Elijah's shoulder, pressing my thumb into his collarbone oh-so gently. Elijah puts his hand on my hip. I realize that my arms are completely bare, as I am wearing a puffy-sleeved white shirt with a red belt and a flowing, thin blue skirt. I only have one underskirt on, with black boots that shine brighter than the stars in the sky.

Elijah looks dashing in light blue, with black boots that shine similar to mine. We begin to move with the music, bending and twisting as partners do.

"How is your writing going? For General Georgia, I mean," Elijah pulls me a little closer, finally becoming more comfortable with me.

"As well as it can be. I have very little time for myself. Tonight is a night I will treasure," I pause, trying to figure out how to make myself as dramatic as possible. "Well, I will treasure it for other reasons besides time away from camp."

Elijah lifts his arm up, twirling me around him. "You have other reasons?"

"One always has other reasons, Mister Schuyler."

He becomes flustered again. "Please, call me Elijah."

I smirk only because he can't see me from behind him. When I come in front again, I am smiling again. "What do your friends call you?"

"Um, they call me Elijah, usually…" he shrugs, his cheeks turning pink.

He guides us into another back and forth motion with the music. I look up at him, my hand on his forearm. "Then I shall call you Ellie. It's sweet, isn't it?"

Elijah smiles down at me, beaming with infatuation. "It is, Miss Hamilton."

I imitate his tone. "Please, call me Alexandra."

Elijah laughs. "I will, I promise. Maybe even Alex will suit you, but that makes you sound very masculine. You are quite the opposite."

"Is that so? Well, I guess I must put more mud on my boots and brow, then," I make him laugh again; the sound is music to my ears.

We dance like this for a few hours. He has a quick wit, one that matches mine to a T. Our gentle glances and firey eyes keep the candles in the room lit for the amount of time that he is with me. I have imagined a life like this for myself someday; if they can get passed the fact that I am illegitimate, I hope to light all of the rooms of my home like this with someone that I adore. Elijah seems like that kind of boy-that kind of man.

The night wears on. I drink a bit, eat a bit, all with Elijah close by. We enjoy each other's company and embrace, each hour becoming sweeter than the last. Towards midnight, Piper Schuyler announces the end of the ball.

Elijah's face grows sour. He takes my arm in his hand, pulling me close to him. "Alexandra, will you write me?"

I am taken aback by his forwardness, an action which is not expected of the men of the house. "Of course I will, Elijah."

"Good," Elijah pushes a red curl behind my ear, smiling from ear to ear. "I hope to see you around the mansion again soon, miss."

"I hope to see you as well." I nod to him, curtsying gracefully. He bows with polite discretion, leaving me in the middle of the room alone. In a moment, Joanna comes rushing toward me, giving me my long, heavy black wrap that protects against the cold.

"Are you ready, Colonel Hamilton?" Jo says, gripping my arm a bit tighter than usual. Her brown eyes are dotted with concern, but I do not know why.

"As I'll ever be, my sweet Joanna," I pinch her left cheek as we leave the Schuyler mansion behind. Joanna's freckles are scattered like stars, her big cheekbones still filled with blood after the dancing and the ale. She's beautiful, inside and out. However, when I look at Elijah Schuyler, something fills me up. Something completes my half, something devours me still.

Even if Jo and I have made love (Only once. Or twice. Or three times. I've lost count), even if Jo and I have said we adored each other, even if Jo and I did a million quests together, I would drop on my knees for Elijah Schuyler's heart this moment.

Maybe it's the fact that Jo and I together means death for both of us, but the idea of marrying Mr. Schuyler is so much more than it appears. It means more to me than a fling between best friends.

Joanna doesn't say anything for the long ride home. I don't say anything, either. I'm too busy imagining Elijah Schuyler's dark eyes and his strong hands and-

"Alex?"


	4. Joanna Laurens

Her eyes are glazed over. I figured it must be the ale. She turns to me slowly, her matted red hair barely moving with her. "Yes, Jo?"

I bite my lip, knowing that that will get her going. "If we are quiet, we could… We could do our thing tonight."

Alex looks me up and down, not saying anything. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" I lean over as to make sure the carriage driver does not hear. "We should consummate."

Alexandra's right eye twitches. "I know what you meant. I guess I should have been more clear," she pauses. "I'm not interested, Jo."

Her response shocks me. Usually, if I ask her on a night like this, we can barely make it to the front door without our hands on each other. It's quite hard to hide the sapphic nature between us, but we manage.

Alex still doesn't say anything, so I fill the silence with my own feelings. "You usually are interested. What is the discouragement tonight?"

Alexandra shakes her head. She takes my hand and kisses it. "A man, Joanna."

She doesn't say anything else.


End file.
